Cupola feeding mechanisms and method



June 29, 1965 H. B. LAUDENSLAGER, JR.. ETAL 3,192,036

GUPOLA FEEDING MECHANISMSl AND METHOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 18, 1961 mvEN-rons A lv-larry B. Laudensluger,J.

g Verel UB M June 29, 1965 H. B. LAuDENsLAGER, JR.. ETAL 3,192,036

CUPOL FEEDING MECHANISMS AND METHOD Filed Dec. 18, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4.

A|r Supply Timer Motor Timer Motor xNvEN'roRs Hurry B. Lcudensloger, Jr.

Everett W. Hale /W m4/W United States Patent O e 3,192,036 CUPOLA FEEDING MECHANISMS AND METHOD Harry B. Laudenslager, Jr., Jamestown, and Everett W;

Hale, Falconer, N.Y., assignors to Blackstone Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 160,142 8 Claims. (Cl. 75-43) This invention relates to cupola feeding mechanisms and particularly to a device for cyclically feeding and dissolving or adrnixing solid materials into a molten bath in a cupola.

In the normal operation of a cupola, additions are made by means of a chute which discharges the material into the cupola onto the surface of the molten bath in the cupola. There is no way in which rapid distribution of this material can be attained in the bath. Normally the cupola is under a positive air pressure. Air is delivered from a wind box above the molten metal in -the cupola forcing the material in the cupola through an opening and over a dam. j'

We have discovered a means and a method of operating the cupola which will permit feeding of solid material into the cupola while at the same time causing vthorough admixing of the material in the cupola. We provide in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a storage hopper adjacent the cupola, a feeder means adapted to deliver a charge of solid material from the hopper into the cupola at a point beneath the surface of the molten metal when the metal is free of air pressure, actuator means simultaneously halting the ow of air and actuating the feeder to deliver a charge into the bath, and as soon as the charge is delivered to reopen the air feed. Preferably the feeder is in the form of a hollow cylinder having a gate defining a charge receptacle means for opening said gate, a plunger adapted to push the charge into the molten bath, an air Patented June 29, 1965 lCe feeder 21 delivering material to be fed into a charge box 22. The charge box 22 is provided with a delivery passage 23, closed by a dump door 24 operated by an air cylinder 25. Passage 23 discharges into the upper end of a conduit 26, which passes through the sidewall of the cupola 10Y into the interior of the cupola at a level preferably between the high and low levels of molten metal representing wind on and wind off the cupola. A gate 27 is provided intermediate the ends of conduit 26 to provide a charge receptacle. Gate 27 is lifted out of conduit 26 by an air cylinder 28. A plunger 29 driven by air cylinder 30 is adapted to move the length of conduit 26 to force the charge from the charge receptacle to the furnace. The air cylinders are operated by an electrical sequencing circuit which opens conventional air line valves to a source of air under pressure. Y

The operation of the device is as follows: Material to be fed into the cupola is` placed in hopper 20 and fed from there by vibrating feeder 21 into charge box 22. m When it is desired to feed material into the cupola air cylinder 19 is actuated to close the damper. Simultaneously air cylinders 25 and 2S,` controlling dump door 24 and gate 27 respectively, areact-uated. After .these air cylinders have been actuated, air cylinder 30 is energized t-o force the plunger 29 downwardly in conduit 26 carrying ahead of it the charge delivered from hopper 22. Air cylinder 30 is reversed and as it, completes its withdrawal, air cylinders .surge and agitation admixes the added material in the bath to a degree otherwise unattainable by conventional means and protects the'addition from oxidation by delivering it damper on the air line and means for actuating said damper, said gate opening means, damper opening means. and cylinder plunger adapted to operate in succession to shut off the air, open the chargel to the furnace and push the charge into the furnace and to return to the original position with the damper open and the air blowing in the furnace. Stopping the air flow with the damper causes the molten metal to rise in the cupola. The charge is then forced into the molten bath and the bath is then forced downwardly in the cupola when the air is turned on again. This results in a charging and mixing of the bath and with the solid material fed into the bath.

In the foregoing general description, we have set out certain purposes, objects and advantages of this invention. Other purposes, objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational view of a cupola and feeder device according to our invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the cupola and feeder attachment of FIGURE l; Y

FIGURE 3 is a partial end elevational view of the cupola and feeder of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a schematic drawing of an electrical sequencing circuit using conventional components for use in the invention.

Referring to the drawings, we have illustrated a cupola 10 having a discharge opening 11, opening into a dam 12. The cupola is of conventional design having steel bottom doors 13 covered by a sand bottom 14. A wind box 15 surrounds the cupola in ordinary fashion and is connected to tuyeres 16 for blowing into the interior of the cupola. A delivery pipe 17 delivers air to the wind box 15. A damper 18 is provided in the pipe 17 and is actuated by an air cylinder 19. A metal storage hopper 20 is mounted along side the cupola 10 and is provided with a vibrating directly into the molten bath beneath the bath surface.

While we have illustrated and described certain preferred embodiments and practices of our invention, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a cupola for melting metal having a wind box delivering air under pressure to the cupola suicient to cause the molten metal level to drop from a first position to a lower second position spaced from the first position and a source of air to the wind box, a feeding mechanism for additive materials comprising hopper means adjacent the cupola for holding said additive rnaterial, feeder means passing into the cupola receiving a charge of additive and delivering it into the molten metal in the cupola at a point beneath the surface of the molten metal when the molten metal in the cupola is in the first position substantially free of air pressure, cyclic actuator means sequentially acting (l) on the source of air halting the flow of air to the wind box, (2) on the feeder delivering a charge into the cupola from a receiving position remote from the cupola, (3) returning the feeder to the receiving position and (4) reopening the air liow to the wind box.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cyclic actuator means comprises fluid cylinders acting on theair flow and the feed and connected to a common source `of pressure fluid.

3. In combination with a cupola for melting metal having a wind box delivering air under pressure to the cupola suflicient to cause the molten metal level to drop from a first position to a lower second position spaced from the first position, an air conduit leading to the wind box delivering air under pressure from a source to said wind box, a feeding mechanism for additive materials comprising hopper means adjacent the cupola for holding said additive material, a hollow feeder tube passing into the interior of the cupola receiving additive from the hopper means and delivering it into the molten metal in the cupola at a point beneath the surface of the molten metal when the molten metal is in the rst position, damper means in the air conduit for controlling the flow of air therein, damper control means opening and closing said damper, plunger means in the feeder tube for forcing additive into the cupola, plunger actuator means moving the plunger in and out of said tube, gate means in the tube holding a charge of additive until the plunger is moved, gate control means opening and closing said gate and interlock control means sequentially (1) energizing the damper control means to close the damper, (2) the gate control means to open the gate, (3) the plunger actuator means to move the plunger, (4) reversing the plunger actuator to return the plunger, (5) the gate control means to close the gate and (6) deenergizing the damper control to open the damper.

4. A combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein hopper delivery means are provided delivering a charge to the tube after the gate closes.

5. In combination with a cupola for melting metal having a wind box delivering air under pressure to the cupola sucient to cause the molten metal level to drop from a first position to a lower second position spaced from the first position, an air conduit leading to the wind box delivering air under pressure from a source to said wind box, a feeder mechanism for additive materials comprising hopper means adjacent the cupola for holding said additive material, a hollow feeder tube passing into the interior of the cupola at a point beneath the surface of the molten metal before the rst and second position, a charge box on said tube receiving additive from the hopper means and delivering it to the feeder tube, damper means in the air conduit for controlling the ow of air therein, damper control means opening and closing said damper, plunger means in the feeder tube forcing additive into the cupola,

plunger actuator means moving the plunger in and out of said tube, gate means in the tube defining a charge receptacle, gate control means opening and closing said gate, a charge box dump door separating the charge box from the charge receptacle, dump door control means opening and closing said door and interlock energizing means successively energizing; (l) the dump door control means to open the door, the gate control means to open the gate and the damper control means to close the air conduit as a unit, (2) the plunger actuator means to force additive into the cupola, (3) the plunger actuator means to withdraw the plunger in the tube and (4) the dump door control to close the door, the gate control to close the gate and the damper control to open the damper as a unit.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5 wherein hopper delivery means are provided delivering a charge to the charge box each time the charge box door is closed.

7. The combination as claimed inrclaim 5 wherein the dump door control means, the gate control means, the damper control means and the plunger actuator means are uid cylinders.

8. The method of feeding a cupola normally operating under air pressure suicient to cause a bath of molten metal therein to be held at a second position spaced below a first position corresponding to atmospheric pressure conditions comprising the steps of (a) halting the ow of air to reduce the pressure in the cupola and cause the metal level to rise from the second position to the first position,

(b) delivering a charge of additive beneath the surface Y of the molten metal between the rst and second position,

(c) increasing the flow of air and the internal pressure to cause the metal level to drop to the second position and intermix the additive by its motion, and

(d) repeating the steps (a), (b) and (c) until the required addition has been made.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,122,233 6/38 Dunsheath 266--27 X 2,402,498 6/ 46 Kohlhepp 266-33 2,525,973 10/50 Sundstrom et al 266-34 X FOREIGN PATENTS 808,293 2/59 Great Britain.

WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner.

MORRIS WOLK, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CUPOLA FOR MELTING METAL HAVING A WIND BOX DELIVERING AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO THE CUPOLA SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE MOLTEN METAL LEVEL TO DROP FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A LOWER SECOND POSITION SPACED FROM THE FIRST POSITION AND A SOURCE OF AIR TO THE WIND BOX, A FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ADDITIVE MATIERALS COMPRISING HOPPER MEANS ADJACENT THE CUPOLA FOR HOLDING SAID ADDITIVE MATERIAL, FEEDER MEANS PASSING INTO THE CUPOLA RECEIVING A CHARGE OF ADDITIVE AND DELIVERING IT INTO THE MOLTEN METAL IN THE CUPOLA AT A POINT BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN METAL WHEN THE MOLTEN METAL IN THE CUPOLA IS IN THE FIRST POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF AIR PRESSURE, CYCLIC ACUTATOR MEANS SEQUENTIALLY ACTING (1) ON THE SOURCE OF THE AIR HALTING THE FLOW OF AIR TO THE WIND BOX, (2) ON THE FEEDER DELIVERING A CHARGE INTO THE CUPOLA FROM A RECEIVING POSITION REMOTE FROM THE CUPOLA, (3) RETURNING THE FEEDER TO THE RECEIVING POSITION AND (4) REOPENING THE AIR FLOW TO THE WIND BOX. 